Family
by B.Logan
Summary: Friendship and Hunger
1. goodbye

This is my first story that breaks from the show; it's something I do not generally enjoy reading when others do it so why did I do it? It's hard to say. What I do know is that I was devastated when Aidan went to a blood prostitute. I want to see what would have happened if he didn't go. So this is my take on it.

P.S This is also my first Season 2 writing- the jury is still out on if I am enjoying it yet. I think I have seen too many previews; the joy of Season 1 for me was all the surprises (I never saw the BBC show)

**Disclaimer**: Like everyone here I do not claim to own anything. I don't claim ownership of the characters, the show, or anything else.

**I am not a writer but this show may have turned me into one. Please don't make me beg for reviews. Oh damn see I just did it. Please review good or bad, I can take it …make me a better writer**

It was 12 hours after their talk.

It was almost 38 hours…since he ate.

Sally was afraid to leave his side, even for the few minutes she knew it would take before she could return. Still, she knew she had to go, and she had to go now! She had made a promise and they were counting on her.

When he heard the lock unlatch Josh was flooded with relief. He tossed open the dented metal door happy to have survived yet another transformation. He was bit surprised to see Sally, "Where's Aidan?" The smile dropped from his face as he saw her concerned expression, "What wrong?"

"It's Aidan, I am worried, he doesn't look well." Wring her hands together, "He didn't get up, I couldn't wake him up." He could see she was anxious to leave.

"Go to him." He moved quickly to open the adjacent storage unit, "Go! I'll take care of Nora we'll be home in a bit."

A short time later, Josh flew through the front door, alone. Relived that Josh was home Sally looked up from her spot perched on the edge the couch and inquired, "Where's Nora?"

"I took her home, she wanted to go home." Josh replied as his tossed his bag on to the foyer floor. "It's for the best, the last thing she needs right now is to see Aidan all, all…" he shrugged his shoulders not knowing exactly what he was about to find. "Right?" he looked to Sally for reassurance that he did the right thing. She nodded in agreement. Pushing Nora from his mind Josh sighed, to bring his focus back to the present.

Josh walked around to the front of the couch to find Aidan lying curled up on his side unconscious. He looked worse than he was expecting. Kneeling down beside him he reached out to feel his skin. It was its usual ice-cold temperature but his brow was covered with sweat and his shirt was soaked. With a wrinkled brow he turned his gaze back to Sally, "What happened?"

She shrugged, "He hasn't eaten." Moving closer Sally reached out to Aidan, her hand past though him as she spoke, "We talked, all night long." With concentration she managed to lightly brush against his hand. "He asked me to keep him awake, and distracted." She stood up and started to pace the room. "So I told him every boring story of my short sad life," looking guilty she continued, "but I couldn't keep him up…he just slipped away…." tears swallowing her last few words.

"It's okay Sally you tried." Josh reassured her and waited for her to finish.

Sniffing she continued "He was fine for a while; he even told a few stories of his own. He talked about childhood, growing up in his father print shop. He even mentioned that he had a wife and child." Looking back to Josh, "Did you know?"

Josh nodded yes; all the while eyes were examining Aiden's condition. Upon hearing how much he told Sally, he was really worried, the stoic vampire rarely opened up about his long past.

Reading the surprise and worry and on Josh's face Sally agreed, "Yeah…I know. He talked, A LOT. He talked about traveling world and all the things he had done." She let out a long sad breath, "It was amazing really."

Sally watched with concern, as Josh placed his hand on Aiden's forehead. When his warm hand made contact with the cold flesh the vampire groaned and shifted but did not wake. The two exchanged worried glances but there was little either could do so they watched and waited.

They tried to make him comfortable by relieving him of his shoes and striping him of his soaked clothing. They placed a cool compress on his head and covered him with a light sheet.

Over the next several hours the vampire was plagued by dreams, as he slipped in and out of consciousness. At times he thrashed about screaming in anger for his maker only to partially wake and wept uncontrollability at his loss.

It was painful to helplessly watch him suffer the nightmares. At times he called for Celine or Rebecca or the names of a dozens of others that he had loved and lost in his long life. The worst is when he cried out for his family, calling to his wife and child in their graves, sobbing apologizes to them over and over. All his regrets and sorrows floated to the surface, raw and untainted by the hunger for blood and the desire for control.

It was a small relief to his friends when periods of joy made its way into his dreams, he chuckled and smirked when he dreamed of Josh and Sally and their time together. But just as Sally was warned, the dreams ended and the real sicknesses begin.

Aidan was sweating profusely, Josh feared he was dehydrated. He tried desperately to get him to drink, anything, including water but even that was not well tolerated. It began with fits of coughing and ended with heaving and retching, but only bile would rise up to be expelled. With much effort Josh forced him to sit upright and rubbed his back hoping to give comfort and alleviate some the coughing spasms. There was no improvement and Aidan began to shake uncontrollability as waves of pain enveloped his body. Josh lowered him back down to lay sprawled out on the couch as his body twitched. Over the next few hours Aidan body grew sore and stiff, during this time Josh never left his side as he massaged Aidan's limbs to try to sooth the pain and to help him adjust to a more comfortable position. But it was futile and soon Aidan was completely frozen like rigor mortis had already set in, he unable to move about or find comfort in his body.

As the long day progress into the even longer evening Josh began to consider that they might be running out of time. He was unsure how long they had before Aidan's warnings to Sally about his instincts taking over and binging showed themselves to be true.

In Aiden's current state it was hard to image it was even possible for him to be a danger to anyone. Being cautious Sally and Josh, decided it would be best to move Aidan to a safer place, before the foretold violence took hold. In the cover of darkness Josh brought him to the hospital basement, to the cage of a room that had served them both so well in times of despair. Hoping again that it would be sanctuary to heal his friend.

When they arrived at the room Sally spotted a mattress leaning against the wall and by force of will she managed to knock it to the floor. With effort Josh carried in Aidan's sick, stiff body wrapped in clean sheet and blanket and laid him upon it. As he spread the blanket over the grimy mattress and adjusted Aidan's body to lie comfortably, he noticed small drops of blood staining the white sheet around his head. Look to his friend his saw the trickle of blood dripping from his ear, and thought this can't be good.

After a few days, the sickness that overcame him started to fade, and slowly Aidan begin to move about. Josh was relieved to see him beginning to heal, but the healing was physical only, his friend was gone and what remained was more animal than human. All Aidan words had left him and the noises that escaped, were full of desperation. Unfortunately, with the renewed strength came a renewed hunger. Aidan spent hours savagely scraping his fingers raw at the edges of door trying to free himself from the room. He was being driven insane by the pervasive smell of blood from a few floors above.

Josh and Sally took shifts lingering in the dark hallway outside the room, watching, listening and waiting helplessly. Josh did his best to protect everyone; he refused Nora pleas to see Aidan, accepting her help but limiting her exposure. He optimistically encouraged Sally that the future would be ok. But with every passing hour and new hole punched in the wall, he figured they were losing the battle.

Josh was sitting several yards away half asleep in chair when heard a frightening high pitch sound and rushed to the room. Peering through the small window he saw Aidan huddled in the corner his back facing the window surrounded by blood. Fearing the worse Josh slowly opened the door and ventured inside. "Aidan?" cautiously he reached out to touch him, startled Aidan whirled about to face Josh with a blood-smeared mouth and rodent in hand, and there was pile of small carcass strewn about in front of him. Josh quickly backed away in fear as Aidan lurched forward; he retreated to the hallway slamming the door behind him just in time as Aidan pounded at it screaming for blood and release.

Josh slid his back down the outside of the door and collapsed to the floor head in hand he waited for the pounding nightmare to cease. To his surprise within a minute it did, Josh ventured another look; Aidan was sitting on the mattress his demeanor calm. He must have sensed his friend's gaze because when he looked up to meet it; a flicker of recognition crossed his face. His eyes returned to their normal color and silently begged for help. Elated Josh reached for the door handle to reenter the room, but stopped short as he saw Aiden's eyes again flood into vacant black holes that held no sign of hope.

As the blood infusion wore off the hunger returned with a vengeance. With grotesquely protruding fangs he nipped and clawed at the air frantic latch onto anything solid. As the situation continued to deteriorate Josh was forced to use restraints in order to protect Aiden from himself after he discovered that he had started to suck and bite at his own flesh.

With the monster restrained Josh was able to get close enough to offer comfort to his friend. He bandaged his broken hands and whispered reassures that he did not believe. The monster was minimally soothed, allowing Josh to stoke his hair and wipe away the grim and dried blood from his face. Josh hands traced over Aidan's body and cleaned his multiple wounds; he couldn't help but notice how his skin had shifted in color again. The flesh was cracked and painful looking as it was beginning to severely dehydrate. Fueled by love and desperation, Josh made a decision. Swallowing hard he bravely rolled up his sleeve and laid his wrist bare to feed his sick friend. Aidan ears filled with the pulsating sound of Josh's blood as he slowly licked and suckled his wrist, going as far as to place his fangs on his pulse but refusing to break the skin and indulge. Aidan growled an audible "no". He had made his own difficult decision as well.

Josh prayed that it was just his wolfs blood that Aidan was rejecting and not life. Josh knew he had to get Aidan to feed again. Running out ideas, Josh released several small live pray animals and removed the restraints hoping that instinct would take over again, but in spite of Aidan's apparent need and Sally's gentle coxing the animals went untouched.

With options dwindling Josh mentally prepared himself to become an accessory to murder. He went as far as to track down a willing donor from the former blood den. For reasons that Josh couldn't begin to fathom, nor did he care about at this point the attractive young suicidal woman, was more than willing to give herself over. As the young woman entered the space Aidan clawed at the opposite corner of the room to escape. When she touch him he pulled away violently and screamed very human screams of pain as his dried flesh ripped open, and no blood flowed. Josh ran into the room and dragged the girl way, apologizing to Aidan for making the temptation even worse for him. Clearly he would rather die then kill.

After days spent watching Aidan fight against his nature Josh finally, truly understood the depths of Aiden's challenge during the time they spent living to gather. The desire for blood was not just a drug to him but a biological need that had to be satisfied. To live with blood or to suffer without it either way there was a high price to pay. Josh had often judged him to harshly, without really understanding. If he could have Aidan would have told him that that is exactly why he needed Josh, for his unwavering sense of right and wrong.

The next morning Sally spotted a rare opportunity that allowed Josh to seize 2 bags of blood from an ambulance parked outside of the emergency room. Josh cut the first bag open, and grabbed Aidan firmly by the jaw and forced it down his throat. The second bag Aidan bit into it on his own and sucked it dry in a matter of seconds.

Although still showing dark eyes and sharp teeth Aidan did experience another brief period of clarity, he weekly-motioned the frightened Josh to him and begged, "go to ground."

Uncomprehending Josh pleaded for guidance, "What? What do I do?"

Though dried shriveled lips he whispered, "put me deep under" and then with tremendous effort, before he slipped away he pleaded, "Bury me."

Two seemingly endless weeks from when it began, it ended. His porcelain skin had turned a gray and ashen. Time and age were written on his dried shriveled body. When all signs of life were gone, and he lay unmoving on the mattress for three days with no signs of change before Josh finally worked up the courage, to say goodbye. He paced him in a very old simple wooden, yet familiar coffin. In it he enclosed a yearbook photo of Sally and an image of the two of them together, and tearfully they committed him to the earth.

He secretly buried him in a cemetery close to home, under a simple stone marker labeled "beloved husband, father, war hero and best friend"


	2. hello

This is my first story that breaks from the show; it's something I do not generally enjoy reading when others do it so why did I do it? It's hard to say. What I do know is that I was devastated when Aidan went to a blood prostitute. I want to see what would have happened if he didn't go. So this is my take on it.

P.S This is also my first Season 2 writing- the jury is still out on if I am enjoying it yet. I think I have seen too many previews; the joy of Season 1 for me was all the surprises (I never saw the BBC show)

**Disclaimer**: Like everyone here I do not claim to own anything. I don't claim ownership of the characters, the show, or anything else.

**I am not a writer but this show may have turned me into one. Please don't make me beg for reviews. Oh damn see I just did it. Please review good or bad, I can take it …make me a better writer**

The room was in complete darkness, heavy curtains block all light but when his eyes fluttered open for an instant it was if he was looking straight into the sun. An earthy scent filled the room and he called out weekly, "Josh."

"I'm here." The voice filled his ears and his heart with joy.

"Where am I?" blind he struggled to get his bearings.

"Home, your home." Josh placed a reassuring hand on his friends shoulder.

"How…how long was I…" he reached an arm out to find support.

"To long…" moving to sit on the edge of the bed he carefully cradled Aiden's withered body and pulled him close for a gentle hug, "far too long."

Careful not to disturb the IV Josh reached to the bedside table and pick up the knife. He made a precision slit in a blood bag "Here drink." placed it to Aidan's lips "I need you to get well" he gently stroked Aiden's hair as he weekly lapped at the blood. "Welcome back, I missed you."

Days later and countless bags of blood, they sat together in the living room. Aidan was looking almost himself again. Josh started in amazement at his old friend, as he did his best to answer his endless questions.

"…and Sally?"

"She missed you so much; she visited your grave every day until she moved on."

"Yes." He whispered searching in the cobwebs of his memory "I remember now, I heard her voice through the darkness. She kept me company; I missed it when she was gone." Josh was stunned that his friend could recall anything at all from his time underground.

"Nora?"

Josh bit his lip as tears welled up in his eyes, "Gone to rest."

"Josh, I am so sorry?" Aidan felt Josh's pain radiate off of him from across the room.

"She helped me prepare for your retune," Josh's tears flowed freely but silent. "She wanted to see you again."

It hurt him to see Josh's suffer. He rose from the chair to sit beside him on the couch. He placed a reassuring arm around Josh's shoulder and it reminded there, as the silence that followed lingered. For a long time they both just sat taking comfort in each other, together lost in their own thoughts.

Finally, Aidan shifted position and ventured "So why now? Why am I here now, why did you unearth me?"

"I had to. I am the last one alive who knew where to find you." Josh felt old and exhausted as he tried to make Aidan comprehend. "I am going Aidan soon; I don't know how long much longer I have. I couldn't just leave you to be forgotten." Josh made a familiar face that Aidan hadn't realized how much he has missed until now. "Besides I really missed you…and I need your help.

"No, NO!" he practically shouted in anger at the thought of losing what he had just found. "You can't go ... to where?" he barked.

"Above? Beyond? Who knows?" Josh did his best imitation of Sally, he smiled as he explained, "It's okay," he took Aidan's hand and gave it a small squeeze, "I going home to Nora and Sally too, I hope."

"...Why?"

Standing up to pace the room a bit before landing in the chair opposite the couch. "Come on Aidan you should know better than anyone that we can't all live forever." Josh smiled with more than a hint of tease in his voice "You understand you've seen the wolf, you know how it can make you strong and break you at the same time. I am done, I am just done I doubt my body will make it through the next full moon."

Aidan was surprised as saw Josh as he really was, for the first time since he was brought back. Josh looked very old and week and weary from life more so than the number of years that had past. Tears started to form in Aidan's eyes but never got the chance.

Just than the front door opened and a young child came bursting into the room and ran straight into Josh's arms. Tussling the child's hair Josh proudly introduced him "Aiden this is my son Ian." Aidan jaw almost dropped to the floor "He has been anxious to meet you. Haven't you Ian?" The precocious child nodded an enthusiastic yes, as a smile lit up his face.

Josh continued "I need you to look after him for me," swallowing hard he finished "when I am gone."

Aiden shook his head disbelief trying desperately to absorb the news. The young child looked like the perfect combination of two. He had Josh's stunningly large expressive eyes and Nora's sunny blond hair and perfect lips.

As week and dull as they were Aidan senses knew the answer before he asked the question, "Is he?"

"Yes." Josh answered with a bizarre mixture of pride and dread. "He is, and that's why you're the only one who can raise him. You're the only one I trust."

"You trust me, with your child?" Josh emphatically nodded yes. "How can you be sure? How do you know I won't …won't …," the thought was too terrible to finish.

"I just know," reassured Josh calmly. Hugging his child close, before patting him on the back and shooing him into the kitchen.

Terrified of his own nature he stuttered "How can you know… when I don't even know?"

His voice barely a whisper "I know because, before…"Josh stopped remembering the pain of those days…"before we ..we.." he couldn't continue so he started again. "When you were sick and suffering at your most desperate you refused everything. You forsake all blood. You were willing to die rather than to take life, any life… no matter what we did, no matter what we tried, you never broke and you never gave up fighting."

"Aiden, I know you can do this, you're the only one who can." Tears welling up in his eyes again "You'll be there for him during his life, his entire life. You can help him understand, guide him, and teach him to accept himself like you did for me. You can make sure he doesn't forget, who he is, where he comes from and most of all who loved him."

Aidan he was never so sad and full of joy at the same time before. His best friend was dying, but had given him a third chance at life and his most precious gift to look after. Aidan never he could have imagined, when he first found a wolf cornered and alone in an ally, that it would turn out that that the man he saved would be the one to truly save him.


End file.
